Leveling device



June 27, 1933. H. A. JONES 1,915,320

LEVELING DEVICE Filed June 26, 1931 Harryfl (70 72196 INVENTOR;

5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 27, 1933 VNET'ED STATES HARRY A. JONES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS LEVELING DEVICE Application filed June 26, 1931; Serial No. 547,153.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in leveling devices, and has for its principal object the provision of an 1 mproved construction of this character which will be highly efficient in use and economlcal in manufacture.

Washing machines are commonly used in the basements of buildings provided with floors which slope to a drain. Experience teaches that in use the vibration of the machine causes the machine to creep or crawl down the inclined surface of the floor toward thedrain, resulting in the ma chine being thrown off balance with consequent wear and injury to its working parts during operation; Casters of the prior art have been ineffective for preventing this creeping movement of washing machines and are entirelyinefi'ective for keeping the machine level when its several legs rest on a fioor that is inclined toward a drain. The practice has therefore arisen, to a considerable extent, of tying the washing machine in place, and blocking up its legs to level it.

It is, therefore, an objectof this invention to provide an improved devicefor leveling a machine, particularly a washing machine, when the legs of the machine rest upon an inclined or uneven surface, and for preventing crawling or creeping movement of the legs of the machine due to vibration, to the uneveness or inclination of its supporting surface, or other causes.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a leveling device of the type referred to above which may be installed under I the supporting legs of a machine without lifting the machine itself.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a preferred and'practical embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view on line :2-2 in Fig. 1.

In the drawing, which illustrates a preferred and practical embodiment of the in vention, the invention includes a block 10 of resilient material, preferably rubber, and which is provided on its upper surface with a series of terraced concave steps 11, the approach to each of which is by an inclined plane or shelf 12 that tapers toward the front end 13 of the device.

In use the bottom 14 of the block 10 will rest upon a surface which, it may be assumed for example, is the basement floor of a home, and. the floor being inclined slightly toward a drain. For the purpose of illustration, a supporting leg of a washing machine is indicated at 15 and carries a caster 16. The

caster 16 may be moved into any one of the concave steps 11 by pushing the same up rial, such as rubber, the bottom side 1% of the block will be frictionally wedged against the surface upon which theblock rests, thereby preventing the block and the leg 15 from crawling or creeping due to vibration of the machine, or the uneveness or inclination of the floor, or other causes. It is apparent, moreover, that the caster 16 being disposed in a selected one of the concave steps 11 cannot move therefrom, since it is prevented from movement by the steps 11 and the weight of the machine. Assuming, for example, that the machine has four legs 15 and that the supporting surface or floor slopes to a drain. Employing block 10 for each leg, the casters 16 of the several legs may then be disposed in different steps 11 so as to support the machine in level position, thereby eliminating from the operating and working parts of the machine the unnecessary wear thereon that arises when the machine is operated in non-level position.

It is readily apparent that the invention may be used with any machnine that is supported on legs which may or may not have casters and that the invention, as described, provides a simple, inexpensive device for leveling a machine and preventing undesired movement of its legs during use, as set forth.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, thisis capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish tobe limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for preventing crawling or creeping movement of a supporting legof a n machine due to vibration comprising a block of resilient material having a relatively flat bottom for frictional gripping engagement with a supporting surface, said block being provided on its upper side with a terraced series of recessed steps for theselective reception of a supporting leg of'the machine and having inclined portions in a common plane between said steps providing approaches to said steps and the lowermost of 30 said portions intersecting said bottom so that said leg may be readily moved over said portions selectively into said recesses wherea by the weight of the machine will compress the block and wedge the bottom thereof against and into gripping engagement with a supporting surface to thus prevent crawling or creeping movement of said supporting leg of the machine due to vibration.

2. A leveling and anti-creeping device 10 adapted to support the leg of a machine, comprising a block of resilient material having a relatively flat bottom surface adapted to afiord a gripping engagement with a supporting surface, and provided on its upper sur face with a plurality of transversely extendin spaced channels having curved surfaces a apted to receive the supporting leg of the machine,-each of said channels having a flat inclined surface therebetween and'being ar- J'V ranged in terraced formation'and having at its forward edge an inclined surface extendin from the first channel to'the edge of the said leveling and creeping device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- HARRY A. J ONES; 

